Current, former Bulldogs train for Summer Games

Although many Olympic hopefuls will be content just to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, former University of Georgia shot putter Reese Hoffa has another agenda.

"There are a lot of expectations, especially on myself as the defending world champion, so I've shown I have the ability to bring home a gold medal," said Hoffa, who collected the gold at the IAAF World Championships last August in Osaka, Japan.

"Getting to the Olympics is the battle because it's so tough in the U.S., but once I get there, the goal is to bring home a medal of some kind. I would like to be gold, but you can't really plan for what could possibly happen during the Olympics."

Hoffa, who will take his shot at qualifying for the Summer Games this weekend at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., is one of 10 current or former Georgia track and field athletes in the running to represent their respective homelands in Beijing.

There are nearly a dozen Georgia track athletes who have been training for the Olympics in Athens.

For Hoffa, an Augusta-area native who placed third in the 2001 NCAA Championships and has quite a collection of national and international medals, there was no other place to prepare than on the Georgia campus, where he's worked closely with throws coach Don Babbitt since his collegiate days.

"When I first saw Georgia as a potential school to go to when I was back in high school, I looked at potentially using this as a place where I could continue to train past college," said Hoffa, who graduated in 2002. "One of the benefits of training here in Athens is it's reasonably cheap and there are a lot of part-time job opportunities so you can have some kind of income while you're establishing yourself.

"And the coaching is phenomenal - I've been lucky to have all the training staffs and the higher-ups completely support me and allow me to use the facilities and the equipment."

Former Bulldogs hurdler LaRon "Bud" Bennett, who works with Georgia sprints and hurdles coach Don Stuart, hopes to qualify for the Summer Games in the 400-meter hurdles and will also be in Oregon this weekend.

Bennett also pointed to the facilities and the quality of coaching as reasons for continuing to train in the Classic City.

"I was the first one from family to go to a big university, which was my main motivation for coming to Georgia," said the Brunswick native, who completed his college eligibility in 2005. "But once I got here, I loved the atmosphere and coach Stewart is a great coach. When my eligibility was up, I decided to stay. I could have moved to Atlanta, but you can't beat the facilities here. It was better for me and I'm a firm believer in if it isn't broke, don't try to fix it."

There have been more than two dozen former and current swimmers training in Athens under the watchful eye of Jack Bauerle (the U.S. women's head coach) and his assistants. Trials for the U.S. swimming teams begin Sunday in Omaha, Neb., and two of Georgia's most decorated women's swimmers are more than happy to train in familiar surroundings filled with familiar faces.

"We've taken it up a notch this summer," said Mary Descenza, who plans to swim in as many as five events at the U.S. Trials and who earlier this year set a new record in the 200 butterfly in the Short Course World Championships in London.

"We've been training really hard and it shows in the meets I've gone to this summer, I've broken records and have been able to finish my races so much better. We have a great support system here with each other. It's amazing to have this great atmosphere to train in - great coaches, great teammates and hard practices."

For Descenza's Georgia teammate Kara Lynn Joyce, this will be her third attempt to qualify for the Olympics (she competed in 2004 in Athens, Greece, winning two silver medals in relay events), and she said being able to prepare at the Gabrielson Natatorium has contributed to her comfort level as Bauerle has helped her reach unexpected heights.

"I look back at my four years here and realize I didn't really take a break to think about what I was doing," said Joyce, who won 18 national championships during her four years at Georgia. "Looking back, it blows my mind. I don't think I could have accomplished as much in any other program for any other coach. To be able to stay here and train with Jack is just really special. I feel very fortunate I could be here working with him."

Former Bulldogs diver Chris Colwill, said his local training has been enhanced by his relationship with Georgia diving coach Dan Laak and added that after a period of adjustment, he's come to think of Athens as his home.

"I have a great coach who's been working with me since Day One," said Colwill, who won the NCAA 1-meter springboard championship in March and has an excellent chance to qualify for the Olympics at next weekend's U.S. diving trials in Knoxville, Tenn.

"We get along great and have a good friendship. He's got a good plan and I trust him because he's gotten me where I am today. I had a difficult two years getting acclimated to the college scene and being away from home, but now I that I've been here for a while, I'm comfortable. I love everybody here."